


Good Game n00b

by GeniusCactus



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-25 20:08:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13220268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeniusCactus/pseuds/GeniusCactus
Summary: After failing to hook up their shiny new video game system for the umpteenth time, Pidge and Lance embark on an emergency quest to the space mall!  With their adventure comes new friendship... and maybe something more.





	Good Game n00b

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Yolaine for the [ Voltron Exchange 2017 ](https://voltronexchange.tumblr.com/). Hope you enjoy it! Happy (almost) 2018! :D

The second they arrive at the space mall, Pidge makes a beeline for a certain store she’d seen their previous visit. As Pidge goes on and on about how _wonderful_ and _amazing_ it is, Lance can only imagine this store must be something else. 

Well, he’s not wrong. The store truly is  _ something else _ .

“We’re here” Pidge says, leading him to a haphazardly organized shop which seems strangely out of place in the fancy space mall. It looks as if a giant tornado blew through the entirety of space, suddenly stopped, and dumped off whatever random items it collected here.

“Awesome, right?” Pidge says, rummaging through a pile of odds and ends. From the look on her face, one would think she was sifting through a mountain of treasure.

“Aha! This is perfect!” Pidge grins, holding up what appears to have been a television at one time or another. The sides are dented in, some of the glass is cracking. It definitely isn’t a hidden gem by any stretch of the imagination, but Pidge is positive that, if she can just rig a couple of its parts to communicate with the ship’s systems, it will work like new. As impossible as it sounds, Lance doesn’t question her. Pidge was wicked smart, never failing to impress Lance with new idea or invention. If Pidge told him they could repurpose this junk to build their own spaceship he’d believe her.

Lucky for them, the television is on sale for super cheap. (Likely because the aliens have absolutely no use for such an antiquated object, but nevermind that). After purchasing the TV, they end up having a little under a Varga to kill before it’s time to head back to the ship. Since neither of them can think of anything better to do, they end up wandering aimlessly around the mall. And, although Pidge insists that they could probably come back and pick-up the television when they’re ready to leave, Lance takes it upon himself to tote it around with them.

At first, Lance feels like a total badass. Pidge was going to think he was so cool and strong after this! But not more than five seconds pass before Lance starts to feel the burn in his arms. The 50lb television was starting to feel more like 500lbs. He’s sweating profusely and desperately wants to take a break, but he tries his best to not to show Pidge how much he’s struggling.  

“You’re an idiot.” Pidge rolls her eyes as Lance wipes a dribble of sweat on his sleeve.

She  _ could _ have continued to let Lance stupidly carry around that television. But she doesn’t. Instead she graciously suggests they stop and take a look in a nearby shop. The overwhelming sense of relief in setting down the television masks any hint of embarrassment Lance is feeling.

“Look,” Pidge lets out a soft gasp. Lance follows her gaze to a lone videogame sitting across the store. Super Slash Pros, a popular fighting game back on Earth.

Okay, maybe Pidge hadn’t  _ only _ stopped here to give Lance a rest.

It’s rather indulgent to buy yet another game when they still haven’t even touched the one back on the ship. Lance knows this. But the look Pidge is giving him has his head spinning with a flurry of fantasies. She even  _ hugs _ him in one. Suddenly, buying the game is sounding like their best and only option. So what if they already have another game?

Lance finds himself pulling every last GAC out of his pocket, spreading them out on the checkout counter, and praying that it’s enough. It is, barely. He has one singular GAC leftover after the exchange, and he’s probably going to get scolded later for being too frivolous.  

_ It’s totally worth it. _

*

*

Once back on the ship, the television hooks up quite nicely, just like Pidge said it would. Their new game works like a charm too. Only, it’s not exactly the Super Slash Pros they were expecting... 

At first, the game seems familiar enough, the music hasn’t changed and the title screen is still the same. Then, things start to get a little weird. A whole host of new characters Lance swears were never there before greet them in the character selection menu. Characters like Princess Plagnor or Lord Zynlax.

Oh, and the game is entirely in Galran.

After kicking Lance’s ass a few times with her new favorite character, Princess Plagnor, Pidge declares the Galran Super Slash Pros to be her  _ favorite game ever. _  Despite the fact that Lance hasn’t won a single round, he can’t help but agree. He isn’t nearly as good as he remembered, but the giddy breathless feeling he gets while playing is unlike anything he’s experienced before. He never wants it to stop.

It doesn’t occur to him until much later that the game had very little to do with that feeling.

*

*

The paladins notice Pidge and Lance seem a lot closer since the purchase of their video game. They have inside jokes, share whispered secrets, and hang out  _ all the time _ .

It drives Keith nuts.

Pidge and Lance hole themselves up in Lance’s room playing until ungodly hours of the night. Despite the sturdy Altean wall separating his and Lance’s rooms, Keith can still hear their constant giggling loud and clear. After five straight nights of sleepless suffering, Keith begins to wonder if they  _ ever _ sleep.

Then, Lance has the  _ gall _ to ask the other paladins (+Coran) if they would like to join them. He says it’s  _ because the game is better with more people _ … or something. Thankfully for Keith, no one seems too interested in the game. Everyone avoids eye contact, no one wanting to be the third wheel to Pidge and Lance’s...err  _ whatever _ they are.

“I need to.. Uh.. wax my mustache,” Coran says, flitting out of the room.

“I think I hear my tea boiling! Maybe later?” Hunk sounds convincingly apologetic. Lance waves goodbye as he exits the room, probably really believing Hunk will come back and play with them. [Spoiler Alert: He doesn’t].

As the room’s numbers dwindle, Keith realizes he better leave before he’s the last remaining person in the room and inevitably *forced* to play that stupid game. He tiptoes towards the exit, quietly, one foot after the other. Just as he’s almost to safety, Lance starts up again, causing Keith to awkwardly freeze in his tracks like he hadn’t just been trying to escape.

“Come on guys! It’ll be really fun!” Lance pleads to the remaining Paladins. “It’ll be like  _ team bonding _ and all that jazz!”

Allura whips her head around, quite taken with those magical two words,  _ team  _ and _ bonding.  _ “Lance is right, bonding with your fellow teammates is also an important part of being a Paladin,” she agrees, and for a moment, Keith thinks he’s safe from being roped into playing the game. But that moment is quickly over when Allura turns to him and adds, “Keith why don’t you give it a go?”

“Me?” Keith wrinkles his brow, crossing his arms to make himself look as unruly and standoffish as possible. He isn’t playing that game. Not in a million years.

As Allura goes off about how she’d really like to stay but she promised the mice she’d watch their gymnastics show, Keith heaves a sigh, flicking his eyes in Shiro’s direction so they can exchange glances of  _ can you believe this? _

Except, instead of Shiro, he finds himself giving the wall the exasperated look of  _ we should really be training _ . He could have sworn Shiro was standing right there a couple seconds ago! It crosses his mind that Shiro might have discreetly left the group, not unlike Keith attempted earlier. But, he pushes the thought away, it wasn’t like Shiro. Shiro wouldn’t abandon him like that.

_ Would he? _

Relief floods through him as he hears the familiar boom of Shiro’s voice. _ Phew! _ Of course Shiro wouldn’t leave him!

In less than a tic, Keith’s at Shiro’s side. But, just as he’s about to whisk him away so they can get back to doing something more  _ productive _ , Shiro turns to him, saying, “Keith, Pidge was just telling me how good this game will be for team bonding. I think I’m going to try it out.”

Somehow, it sounds like a really good idea when Shiro says it.

*

*

Lance stands open mouthed, hopelessly flabbergasted at the situation before him. 

Keith’s gazing up at Shiro as if he’s witnessing some amazing holy figure speak. Shiro lightly touches Keith’s arm, suggesting he join in, and Keith nods, probably not even really listening to whatever Shiro’s saying. Shiro proceeds to flash Keith the cheesiest grin known to man and Lance can practically see Keith melt.

Honestly, those two couldn’t be more obvious. And now they were going to be looking at each other like  _ that _ in Lance’s room?!  Ugh, no thanks!

There is, however, one small consolation. Allowing these rookie gamers to join in gives him the perfect opportunity to show off his elite gaming prowess to Pidge. She was going to be so impressed!

But Lance didn’t account for Keith, who had apparently ‘never played a video game in his life,’ to be actually quite good. Too good. Letting his sharp instincts take the lead, Keith handles the game controller with the same cocky confidence as if he were steering his lion. As Keith’s character backflips off the walls in a way Lance is sure wasn’t ever possible, it takes all of Lance’s self-control not to throw his controller down and storm out of the room.

On the other hand, Shiro kinda.... sucks. Half because he keeps getting the buttons confused, aimlessly punching the air when he’d means to jump, and half because his prosthetic hand is too big for the controller causing him to mash multiple buttons at once.

Yet, despite the fact that he’s clearly in last place, Shiro appears to be enjoying the game. Giant goofy grin plastered to his face, he simply shrugs with a “Whoops!” every time he falls off.

Keith, however, is not taking things so lightly. Everytime Shiro jumps off the edge-- Which had been five times by now-- Keith just had to yell, “Shiro, no!” with the seriousness as if it were a real battle. It was mildly amusing the first time, but was starting to grate on Lance’s nerves.

Lance does his best to block out Keith’s weird overprotective vibes, mind his own business, and just focus on the game. But it’s no use! The hair on the back of his neck pricks up as he walks his character just the teeneist bit close to Shiro’s. He doesn’t even need to look over to know Keith’s dagger sharp eyes are boring into him.

“Don’t hurt Shiro,” Keith growls, knocking Lance’s character out of the arena with one (lucky) punch. Pidge hides a chuckle behind her hand, and Lance is mortified. Keith is either cheating, or lying about never having played before. Or both. Probably both.

“Keith, you  _ saved  _ me.”

Shiro’s eyes sparkle with pure unadulterated admiration. Keith turns away, cheeks dusted with a tinge of pink. Lance doesn’t hold back from snickering, honestly not sure if he’s more annoyed or amused they’ve chosen to participate in some obscure mating ritual instead of taking the game seriously.

It doesn’t take Lance long to decide he’s definitely more annoyed.

Every time Keith “saves” Shiro, the two of them inch closer. It starts off as a simple hand on the shoulder, and quickly escalates to Keith practically sitting in Shiro’s lap. Leaning his head back against Shiro’s shoulder, Keith rests his hand atop Shiro’s, guiding him through the controls. Keith murmurs something in Shiro’s ear, which, if the look on Shiro’s face says anything, is completely unrelated to gaming.

Lance wants to barf.

His plan is a total flop. With Keith’s score skyrocketing above his, there’s *no way* Pidge will *ever* think he’s cool now. At best, she’ll think of him an average player, perhaps occasionally inviting him to play with her. At worst… Lance’s mind drifts to a scenario where he’s watching longingly as Pidge and her new favorite gamer buddy play from the doorway... The doorway to his own room!

“You can’t work together! It’s cheating!” Lance huffs.

Suddenly Pidge is leaning in close, whispering that ‘it wouldn’t be cheating if they also worked together.’  His annoyance dissipates, and familiar giddy feeling worms its way through his chest.

*

*

Pidge shoots him a thumbs up as they knock Keith clear out of the arena. To be fair, Keith stopped actually trying a long time ago, preferring to focus on the way Shiro’s upper arm muscles flex everytime he presses a button on the controller. But, Lance wasn’t letting that minor detail put a damper on his good mood. 

“Pidge and Lance, the legendary duo!” Lance sings. Right now he was unstoppable.  _ They _ were unstoppable. Together they could do anything!

Pidge’s little smirk as she casually kicks Keith’s character’s butt fills Lance with a certain kind of joy. And, in that moment Lance realizes he doesn’t care what game he’s playing, because he really just likes playing games with Pidge.

And then it dawns on him that maybe he just likes Pidge.

His brain keeps repeating the same thought over and over. He can’t stop thinking about the gentle curve of her mouth as she smiles, or the way her mop of hair frames her face in the most adorable way. His heart’s beating so fast it feels like it’s about to pop right out of his chest.

The rest of the game is a blur. They win, but long after it’s over Lance’s stomach is still doing somersaults.

“You okay?”  Pidge nudges his foot with a socked toe. He shirks away, foot burning in the spot she touched.

_ I like Pidge, I like Pidge,  _ his brain sings mercilessly.

He means to answer with something smooth like,  _ yeah, just chillin’ _ But his brain is chanting _ I like Pidge  _ so loud he can’t concentrate on anything else.

And then it slips out.

“I like you.”

Why’d he have say  _ that _ ? Lance clamps his hands over his mouth, face on fire. He wants nothing more than to take those words back and pretend this never happened.

But, much to Lance’s surprise, Pidge doesn’t laugh. She doesn’t smirk or sneer. Instead, she scoots in closer, cheeks looking about as red as Lance feels. The tip of her finger brushes the back of Lance’s hand, sending a shiver down his spine. Sure he’d flirted with girls plenty of times, but internally he’s still just a clueless teenage boy with a crush. He’s never actually gotten this far, and he doesn’t know what’s supposed to happen now that the cute girl next to him was practically holding his hand.  

“Um,” Lance bites his lip, still not quite sure what he’s going to say.

Luckily, Pidge is one step ahead of him. Before Lance manages to blurt out the first thing that pops into his head, Pidge leans in closer. So close their knee caps uncomfortably bump together, and staring at her face is making him go cross eyed. But, as if she’s drawing him in with some type of magnetic force, he can’t bring himself to pull away. Their lips clumsily clash together, the metal rim of her glasses smooshing into his cheek. The kiss is inelegant, awkward, and nothing like Lance imagined, yet somehow, he finds himself diving in for another round.

 


End file.
